Peril
by sunlit exile
Summary: Peril: exposure to the risk of harm or loss. How far would Oki, Issun, and Waka go to prevent Amaterasu from doing something that would put her in imminent danger? Oki/Amaterasu.
1. Reset

Oki blinked. Then he blinked again, and finally turned all the way around to face the woman head-on.

"Who're you?" He demanded; lips curled back in a silent snarl as a result of his wolf-like habits. The crimson-shaded woman just imitated him with a pearly sneer of her own. Eyes narrowed, the dark haired male leaned forward as though to prepare for a battle of some sort – however, before it could escalate, a familiar voice rang through the quiet air.

"Hold it right there, ya' ungrateful mutt!" At this, Oki froze, stood straight, and stared owlishly at her.

"...Issun?" He asked, his voice only slightly muffled by his mask. It was at this point that the green-glowing, inch-high Poncle came into view. "What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, frowning behind the blue-hued mask.

"What a greeting," He could hear him mutter, "And we're here on – business." Although it was faint, there was distinct hesitation in Issun's voice. Why would he keep information from Oki? "We need to see Kemu," He added hastily. All the time, Oki was watching the girl's eyes go from hostile to confused to hesitant and finally to determined. Who was she anyway?

"The girl," He stated, motioning to her with his thumb, "Who is she?" He asked staring the Poncle down.

"Ah... I guess you wouldn't have known, but this is here is furball – er, Amaterasu, in the flesh." Issun said, flicking her ear pointedly. Amaterasu's blue eyes flashed something dangerously close to annoyed before she settled down to stare at Oki. The masked boy frowned slightly and looked her over, taking in her crimson and white kimono the cut off a little shorter than normal. Probably ripped, seeing as she seemed to fight in both human and wolf form. Her face was marked with the crimson shading of her wolf forms, but it seemed to bare a stronger meaning when it was on her human visage. There was just something... different.

Other than that, her creamy hair looked a lot like wolf's fur – soft looking, but coarse. It floated just about her middle back, looking full but thin at the same time. She had ears on the top of her head, which would have been a side-effect from inexperienced wolf-to-human transformation. Or perhaps she just preferred two sets of ears? Chuckling silently, the Oina warrior nodded briefly, noting her weapon. It was the same green, flaming reflector she'd used before, but there was something different about it. Again, he didn't know what. Maybe it was shining brighter or something, but –

"Sorry to interrupt your train of through there, Oki, but we kinda need a place to stay. Could you find us one?" Issun asked, grinning _almost _sheepishly. Key word being _almost. _Oki merely grunted in response and turned around to lead them to the tribe. He could here Issun telling 'Ammy' to hurry her furry butt up and follow him. He chuckled quietly, shaking his head in slight motions. Issun could be such a door-knob sometimes.

When they entered the village, they were greeted warmly by Kemu, Samickle, and Kai.  
...Maybe not so much Samickle – though he did seem to respect them more than he had before.

"They need a place to stay?" Kemu had asked. "Of course, of course! Go see Kai and see if she has space, and if not, come back here and I'll arrange something." The chief had said and then promptly ordered Oki to show them to Kai's hut. Not that they needed it, seeing as they'd been there before anyway.

But, he had to. Only because he was ordered to.

Kai, being the overly nice girl she was, invited the three of them in for something to drink. That was probably the reason Oki had declined Kai's offer to marry her. She was too nice. And although that seemed rash, Oki just wouldn't feel right. In fact, he often felt like he was using her and that was a horrible feeling.

So anyway, there they were, drinking hot tea around the fire when Oki remembers he hadn't even bothered to ask why they were even _there. _So of course, he asked – and for once, Issun looked mildly hesitant as he tossed Amaterasu an uncertain glance. One that she seemed to understand, but didn't reply for herself anyway.

"Well..." Issun began, putting down the miniature cup. "...We're not sure, exactly. Ammy here wanted to make sure everything was alright up here – ya know, just to be sure and all that kind of stuff." He said quietly, lacking the usual energy. Oki frowned behind the mask.

"If you don't mind my asking... why isn't Amaterasu in the land of the Gods?" Kai asked casually, obviously curious. Again, Issun hesitated.

"...That's... that's a long story. We'll tell you a bit later, 'kay? We're both really tired." He said, smiling to spite the tense air around Amaterasu. And, with no other option, Kai and Oki accepted the answer.

x x x x

Later on that night after he'd left and Kai and Issun had long since gone to sleep, Oki went outside and watched stars from his hut's roof. After the Ark of Yamato had risen and Amaterasu had supposedly left the land of mortals, he'd moved back into Wep'keer for the sake of his duties as a warrior. Not to mention the fact a rival tribe – Ones'ka – popped up out of nowhere and demanded Wep'keer share their land. They didn't give reason why, only said it was necessary. They claimed they would raze Wep'keer if they didn't make their boarders smaller.

Oki, of course, had been outraged. The boarders were already in as small as they could go if they were to survive. And plus, first come first serve, right?

He glanced behind him and grabbed the hilt out of minor shock.

There stood Okami Amaterasu, just standing there, bare-foot in the snow with her alabaster nightdress on. Oki would have thought she'd be freezing, but –

All thoughts stopped momentarily as the girl sat down beside him, wolf-like nails aimlessly scratching the surface of his hut's roof, drawing out a pattern of some kind. He stared at her for a while until she looked up at him, unblinking wolven eyes staring right through him. Had he not been used to that kind of look, Oki might have been mildly disturbed by the intensity. It'd been so long since he last saw Amaterasu he'd almost forgotten the fiery determination in her blue eyes.

Her gaze shifted again, this time to look at the stars. With her hands, she dotted the sky. Where her hands moved and dotted, another silvery star appeared. Oki stared, awed at the sight – for lack of a better sentence. The pale-haired girl's eyes glimmered with the satisfaction of illuminating the mortal sky.

"You like the stars," She whispered, smiling mischievously. Oki took a moment to let that sentence echo in his mind – but not for the words. Her voice was brilliant. It was like... light; but in sound form. It was so quiet, yet so distinct and crisp that he almost wanted to hear it again just for the sheer strength of her tone.

Clearing his thoughts, he nodded. Stars were always one of the most beautiful things in the world to Oki. They reminded him of life's early stages – the fun times, the hard times; the times you can't regret, nor forget. A small curve of his lips indicated a smile.

Amaterasu caught it and smiled a little wider.

And so, there they sat, for hours on end, just watching the stars in each other's company. It was something Oki had never really done, except maybe the one time with Samickle and Kai when they were really young. But that was long ago, and it hadn't been quiet. Now it was just companionable for the sake of being with someone. He got the feeling Amaterasu appreciated the silence just as much as he did.

So, there they sat.

x x x x

Possibly a chaptered fic, with a plot, possibly random one shots. I've yet to decide.  
xD.

Anyway, how'd ya like it? If at all? What was good? Bad? Yanno, the usual. So... should it be chaptered? I have a slight plot in mind, nothing huge, but it would be OkiAmmy – just to let you guys know.  
Hm. Not much else to say, really. Issun will be ever-present, and in case you're wondering, you _will _get a better idea of how Ammy looks in human form. And her voice. For Toradora fans out there, I always thought of Ammy's voice as being like Kano Sumire's. Yanno, the school counsel girl – the one Kitamura likes?

Yeah. I know a lot of people think Amaterasu's voice would be really soft and feminine, but I have to disagree. I see her (and hear her) as a girl who just _oozes _determination. LAWL.

Ehr. So basically, yeah it's gonna be chaptered, but don't expect frequent updates. xD.  
But be sure to expect updates of _some kind._

Anyhow, show some love for my first chaptered Okami fic!  
Please? 8D?


	2. Rediscover

The morning after the strange encounter with Amaterasu, Oki found himself wandering listlessly outside the main entrance to Wep'keer.

The air was so thick you could cut with knife.

When he'd woken up, everything felt off. He knew Samickle felt the same way because he was pacing back and forth in front of Kemu's hut, waiting for some order to do _something. _Oki felt the exact same way. He wondered if the odd feeling had something to do with the Ones'ka tribe. They hadn't acted up in months – and it seemed Wep'keer was long overdue for their next bothersome meeting with the tribe's leader, Ska.

Ska.

Not only did it break tradition in the fact 'Ska' is a woman, she treats neighbouring tribe's like dirt – and she started badgering Wep'keer about moving their boarders the moment they appeared on the map. It was ridiculous, but that wasn't the point. Ones'ka had the man-power to pull off what she threatened, and that's what worried Oki. That they might actually do what they said they would do.

Not that he wouldn't fight to his inevitable death to protect Wep'keer – but when it came down to it, his tribe wasn't all that large. Sure, they'd gained two new members a while back, Xeska and her brother Narrk, but that wasn't the point.

Sighing, he shook his head. All the thinking was giving him a headache and he really didn't need one at that point. Especially since Lika had been continually pestering him about training her to fight. He'd laughed, but it might not have been such a bad idea because –

A scream interrupted his thoughts. Worse yet, he knew the voice. It was Kai.

He took no time to get there in wolf form, and see the mess Wep'keer had become. Samickle, Kemu, Narrk, and Xeska were all fighting against a mass of demons that seemed to have no end. Amaterasu and Kai were nowhere in sight, which aggravated him, but there was no time for that. He leapt into the fray and swung his sword in all directions, ignoring the fact that as soon as he hit one, another appeared in its place.

One of the Namahage's swung it's canon around to face him, just as his sword bit at the exterior of the demon's stomach and right through to cut it precisely in half. Letting out a growl, he moved on to fight his way through several others; all the while, keeping an ear out for Kai or Amaterasu.

By the time the majority of the demons had been defeated and the rest fled the battlegrounds, Oki was almost dead on his paws. Xeska and Narrk chased the last few monsters out of sight before Narrk split off to go assist Kemu and Samickle with their wounds, while Xeska approached him with a low head. She was exhausted, he could tell.

"Amaterasu is still missing, and Kai's gone too. We can't pick up a scent-trail out of the tribe. It's like they up and disappeared," Xeska growled. Oki let out a long breath before nodding and allowing the girl to bandage him. "Lika fought well, considering it's her first battle," She commented lightly.

That was the odd thing about the gray and white wolf – she switched moods almost randomly. One moment, she'll be at your throat, the next, she's asking you to go hunting like nothing had occurred. Xeska was nice, but if it came to choosing one or the other, Oki preferred the company of her brother. He was very attentive when it came to others. It seemed he just _knew _what you were thinking. If you were angry and wanted peace and quiet, he left you alone. If you wanted company and someone to talk to, he listened and he was there. All in all, the two had grown _almost _close, and Oki _might _call him a friend. Narrk looked a lot like his twin – dark, silvery hair that often covered one of his brown eyes, rather lanky, and about seventeen.

The two of them were extraordinary fighters and never missed a beat when it came to battle.

In any case, for once, Xeska was silent. The long-haired girl just finished his bandages and moved on to settle a distraught Lika. The girl was older now, and could transform into a wolf properly then. Her wolf form was lithe and agile, similar to how mature Lika looked – but Lika was still a kid inside, no matter which way you looked at it. She still depended on Kai more than anything else in the world.

"Is that..." He heard Xeska ask Lika, staring at something off in the distance.

"Kai!" Lika shouted, racing off, half-bandaged. Oki's head snapped around to stare at one profusely bleeding Kai. Amaterasu still wasn't present. He raced up the slope just as Kai collapsed into Lika's small arms, looking rather pale. "Kai! Wake up!" Lika shouted, shaking her.

"Relax, Lika, she's not dead. She's just passed –out." Narrk explained, coming up beside them. Oki growled and gathered Kai into his arms to take her down to her hut. Luckily, it was one of the few that hadn't been completely demolished.

Hours passed, and Amaterasu and Issun still didn't show up. Oki might have been worried, but he was too busy being livid with the fact she just _wasn't _there during the whole thing. Kai had woken up later, and was visited several times by Kemu and once or twice my Samickle. Xeska was always present to help care to her wounds, but otherwise, it was relatively quiet. He still couldn't wrap his mind around the fact Amater –

Well speak of the devil.

There, in all her quiet glory, stood the Goddess, with one bouncing green ball atop her head. She looked tired, but Oki didn't notice – he was too busy grabbing her by the throat and spewing death-threats.

"How could you not be here!?" He demanded furiously, eyes narrowing dangerously. The pale-haired girl just let her gaze shift to the side. "Did you even _see _the damage done to Wep'keer? Hm? Or were you too busy playing goddess to help us out!?" He half-yelled, glowering at her. She still said nothing. Issun looked like he was about to say something, but Oki shook his head and turned away. "Get out of my sight." He hissed, utterly seething. When he turned to look at Kai, who had seen the entire thing, he was surprised to see her glowering at him.

"Oki! How could you _do _that!?" She growled, hands fisted at her side.

"Do _what!?_" He snapped, glaring at her.

"Yell at her like that! Amaterasu was here you idiot! She was protecting me! She's the reason I'm standing here as we speak!" Kai howled angrily. "And if you don't go find her _this instant, _I... I'll... I'll never forgive you! Ever!" She finished in a high-pitched scream. The brunette took a deep breath as though to calm herself. When Oki turned to look, Amaterasu was long since gone, and in her wake, was a thick trail of blood. He internally slapped himself for not noticing.

"Fuck." He hissed, and raced off in wolf-form, feeling guilt and shame burn and writhe in his belly. How could he have been so careless? _'It doesn't matter. If I find her and bring her back, it'll all go back to normal.' _He mused, picking up the speed only a little more.

x x x x

It took longer to find her than he'd expected. She left blood where ever she went, yes, but she moved even quicker than Oki did – and that was a feat not many could accomplish. Not to mention she was in her human skin at that point, and human's aren't supposed to be faster than wolves. It was around this time he heard Issun's voice.

"Ammy! C'mon Ammy, don't give up here! If you sleep now, you'll... you'll..." He trailed off miserably. "And why'd you leave the village so fast, anyway!? I was about to give that flea bitten mutt a piece of my mind!" He said, switching topics. Oki followed the voice until he came to the entrance of a cave. There, he could smell blood coming from inside, but that was about it. The stench was too strong to smell anything else. Holding his breath, he jogged inside, peering blindly into the dark until he saw a small, sickly looking Amaterasu huddled in the corner. She probably wasn't used to the cold in her human body. That meant she was either dead, or something awfully close to it.

As he approached, he felt something prick his leg.

"Oki! If she's dead I'll... I'll... I'll kill you!" Issun threatened, pulling out Denkomaru for good measure. Oki didn't have to be told twice as he slowly pulled Amaterasu into his arms to take her out of the damp cave. "Not like that, idiot!" Issun scolded, motioning to the Goddess. "She'll freeze to death if –" He paused, "...If she's not already dead." He muttered. Nodding briefly, the blue haired boy took off his cloak and wrapped it around her limp body before picking up a run and heading back to Wep'keer.

About half-way back, he felt something in the air stir. Something sinister – something dark and horrid. Something that reminded him of a rotting carcass. It was strange, seeing as they were passing the tunnel to Shinshu Field, one of the most pure lands of all – seeing as it's incredibly near to Kamiki Village.

_Plick._

Oki blinked and looked up as a droplet of water landed on the tip of his nose. So it was going to rain, eh? Frowning, he picked up the speed again, being careful not to let Amaterasu move around too much.

x x x x

By the time they returned, the bright lights and boom of thunder and lightning had already began accompanying the soft pitter patter of rain. It was that time of year where snow became rain and Oki didn't like it much at all. In fact, he could speak for everyone in the village when he said that; rain was horrible. Wep'keer was asleep when he finally got to his hut, deciding not to bother waking anyone up. Besides, Kai would only kick him out the moment she saw the state Amaterasu was in.

"C'mon, we gotta get these clothes off 'er." Issun stated. Oki did a double-take.

"Excuse me?" Oki asked, eye-brows raised significantly. Issun snorted and turned to look at him.

"Her clothes are wet. If she stays in them, she'll get hypothermia. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, you mutt," Issun told him, grinning slightly. Oki shot him a look before carefully peeling the clothes away – trying not to look. So yes, maybe Oki was still a bit childish, but usually it was the woman's job to handle problems like fixing hypothermia and all such other problems.

Okay, so he did look _once. _Or maybe twice. But enough times to notice the markings on her kimono were also engraved on her skin like a tattoo. They were red – blood red – and contrasted in a unique way against her pallid skin. Oki really couldn't help but admire them.

Then of course, he realized he was staring and quickly covered her with a wool blanket and retreated to the other side of the crackling fire. Issun hopped up and curled into the Goddess' ashen hair, like he would if she were in wolf form.

At this, something twisted in Oki's stomach. Something he'd... never really felt before.  
Envy?

'_No, no, that's ridiculous. I don't envy anyone – especially that pain in the ass, Issun.' _He decided, staring at the two of them. Yet again, he couldn't help but to contradict himself in thinking that he _did _envy their closeness. It was something he longed for – perhaps not with anyone in particular, but someone. Apparently – even Oki, the lone wolf of the Oina Tribe – needs someone to talk to every once and a while.

x x x x

When dawn finally broke out over the cloudy skies of Komui, Oki was there to see it, just like every morning. The lake shimmered brilliantly, covered only by a thin layer of ice. It was something to admire and respect. It was where the Ark of Yamato had stayed until Amaterasu had taken it back to the heavens. Although... if she'd really accomplished it, wouldn't she be there, still?

Dropping the thoughts, he mulled over the previous day. He still felt remnants of last night's embarrassment and shame, but Kai couldn't stay angry at him forever, could she?

Wait, he took that back.

Kai could hold a grudge longer than anyone he'd ever known – even longer than Samickle – so it probably wasn't smart to jinx it. After all, Kai was his friend and he didn't want to lose her no matter what. Sighing slightly, he turned around to head back to his hut and see if Amaterasu was up, but paused when he realized he was no longer alone at the edge of the lake.

"Why are you out here, shouldn't you be resting?" He asked, moving his head only a little so he could see her out of the corner of his eye. As if to spite the tension Oki felt, Amaterasu looked almost... amused? He frowned at this and turned back to stare at the morning sun.

"You know, Oki," She murmured, coming up beside him. "You should really stop over-thinking things." At this, the blue-haired boy let out a light growl.

"What would you know?" He asked, shifting his weight. Amaterasu's lips curled up in a slight grin before she flicked him in the shoulder. He blinked and turned to look at her while she began making her way across the thin layer of ice that divided one side of the lake from the other. Oki stared, mouth agape.

"Looking like a fish out of water gets you nowhere," She called, nearly half way across.

"What, are you insane?" He demanded, "If you fall in, Kai'll kill me!" He shouted, earning only an unlady-like chortle from the Goddess.

"C'mon now, Oki, I haven't fallen in yet, have I?" She asked. On the other side, Oki frowned and said nothing. "Give it a try, it's actually quite fun!" She called, beginning to slide across the ice, spinning every now and again. Figuring he had to get her off the ice before she actually _did _fall in, the blue-haired one picked his way onto the lake and imitated how Amaterasu slid gracefully – though he looked more like a rampaging bear who didn't quite know which way was up.

Then there was a much less wonderful _snap _and he lost his footing, straight into the depths of the freezing water. All he knew was that he never should have trusted that –

Was that... a hand?

He blinked and swam forward, reaching for it, but his body was already reacting to the sudden cold and he felt stiff and heavy. Still, the hand dove deeper into the water, brushing his hand every now and again. Alas, he was falling further, and running out of air at an alarming rate. He let out a gasp underwater and began choking as it invaded his mouth and nose; though he didn't stop reaching for that hand.

The next thing he knew, he could breath, but he wasn't out of the water yet. Amaterasu's vibrant eyes were the first thing he saw, staring down at him with genuine concern. Irked, he yanked away and nearly sank again – though he just managed to grab a bit of ice to keep his head above water.

"_What _are you _doing!?" _Amaterasu demanded, grabbing for his hand or arm or anything to drag him up onto the ice with. Oki merely glared at her and pulled away again. The girl looked to be utterly fuming, but he really didn't care. "Oki..." She seethed, "Now is _not _the time to be stubborn," Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she reached for his hand once more.

"I d-don't need y-your help!" He snarled, batting at her arm away.

"Do you realize how long it takes for hypothermia to take over your body, Oki?" She asked, seemingly calming down.

"What does that have anything to –"

"Shut up and listen!" She snapped, cutting him off. "First, you start losing the feeling in your hands and feet; I'm sure that's happened to you by now. Then you stop being able to see straight and you'll lose your balance. Do you know what happens after that, Oki?" She asked, staring so intensely at him he could almost _feel _the heat in her eyes. Strangely enough, he could move his mouth enough to form a proper reply. She didn't wait anyway. "You stop trying to talk altogether and get extremely tired. If you lose consciousness, the chance of your survival is less than forty percent." She stated, her voice losing power toward the end.

"C'mon, Oki, gimme your hand. Trust me." She murmured. He frowned but reached out anyway, his hand meeting hers. Amaterasu, although a Goddess, wasn't very strong. She had to use all of her muscle power to haul Oki out of the water and onto the ice, his hand still clenched around hers as she sat up. The blunet, on the other hand, was breathing very shallowly as he sat up and looked around, eyes half-lidded.

Sighing, she turned to see Samickle crossing the ice with light paws – seeing as he was in his wolf form.

"What did that kid do this time?" He growled, beginning to drag him across the ice back to the shore.

"'Scuse me, but he _already _has hypothermia, do you intend to make it worse?" Amaterasu asked rigidly, tapping the wolf on the shoulder. Almost immediately, Samickle's body morphed and swam in and out of view until he was a human, which rather surprised him. The Goddess just gave a crooked grin and shot him a look. "It's all in the wrist."

x x x x

So... I'm not sure if that was too full of (apparent) randomness, but it _is _leading up to something.  
And the Ones'ka tribe wasn't mentioned to throw you off track; they play an important role in this.  
So does the title of the story, 'Peril.'

By the way, thanks for the reviews guys!  
I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you, but my internets been on haywire and my laptop has been crashing randomly, so in other words, computer issues are a drag.

Where was Issun during this chapter, you ask?  
Obviously not with Ammy xD.

But anyway, there will be themes to the chapter from now on. The chapter names will be the song name, and if you want, just review and ask for the band name.  
Yes, it's a clever ploy to gain review, but no one says you _have _to. I'd just like some critique on my writing, because I've been picking up on some badly worded sentences but I can't help it without... help...  
Anyway, third chapter will be kicking around sometime soon.


	3. Realization

Oki's eyes opened to a blurry, dimly lit world. Frowning, the blunet sat up slowly and looked around. He was in his own hut, which was a good thing, but he wasn't alone. That was a bad thing. He'd been around people far too often for his liking in the past few days. Snorting, he stared at Amaterasu, who'd curled up in ball to his left, her hand twitching every now and again. He turned fully, to take a better look at her; only mildly curious. Or so he claimed.

Her brow was slightly creased with a nearly invisible sheen of sweat glinting on her face. What kind of dream was she having? She looked... in pain. Unhappy? Frustrated? Whatever it was, it didn't look like a pleasant dream.

Then her pristine blue eyes snapped open and in one instant she was up and on the other side of the fire from her original sleeping-place. Said Goddess panted, eyes darting from the fire, to Oki, to Issun, who'd crawled under a blanket that had been made for him by Kai. She looked so wild in those few moments Oki _almost _thought maybe he shouldn't calm her down – for fear of losing an eye. Still, if he didn't, there was no telling what she'd do.

"...Amaterasu?" He inquired, eyes narrowing faintly. The word seemed to bring her back down from whatever cloud she'd been on, as she finally refocused her attention and her eyes lost the confused mist.

"Oki..." She mumbled, looking vaguely puzzled. "Where... what happened?" She asked, rubbing her forehead. The blunet blinked and frowned further, shooting her a quizzical look. Amaterasu slumped back down to the ground, her pallid bangs landing almost directly in her eyes. One might think a Goddess would have more sense than to just, _slump, _but Amaterasu was different. That much he could tell – though he hadn't exactly met any other heavenly beings before.

In any case, Oki stared, completely at a loss of what to do. Neither moved for the longest time. The two just... stood there. Then the girl sighed through her nose and stood. She looked directly at Oki and fixed him with an intense stare.

"Everything's changed." She murmured, breaking eye-contact and shaking her head repeatedly. The blunet tilted his head in confusion, but wasn't given the chance to ask about what she meant; for he was interrupted by the loud grumble of the earth shifting and crackling. Alarmed, the pair dashed outside – Amaterasu grabbing Issun as she passed – and only just managed to slide to a stop in front of a huge fissure which divided one half of Wep'keer from the other. Gaping, the two stared, hardly able to comprehend what was there before them.

"This..." Oki whispered, face twisting behind his mask. _This_ was horrifying, that's what. The earth was still crackling, and down below, Oki could see only a flame of black, curling and rising upward like the darkest fog. He could _feel _the malevolence and animosity searing his skin and mind, burning it into his memory so he would never forget the sheer power of what was there, on the edge, the horizon of Wep'keer, waiting to close in on whatever it was searching for. His mind reeled back; trying to digest all that was happening and still keep his calm composure.

Finally finding his voice, he looked at Amaterasu out of the corner of his eye, trying to judge her emotion. "What is that?" He asked quietly, letting his eyes slide back to watching the ebon mist sink over the horizon, tainting the once pure scenery of Komui into an ugly, black trail of ash.

"...Must you know?" She replied quietly, staring blankly in the direction the fog had disappeared at. Oki nodded solemnly, turning to face her. "I hope you chose wisely, Oki." She whispered. Taking a breath, the Goddess looked up. "It's death." Her ghost of a voice could barely be heard. Her eyes trained on the distant horizon, as though if she stared hard enough, the destruction the black fog had left would just disappear.

x x x x

After the ordeal of finding the scattered members of Wep'keer, the tribe had a moment to rest and look over all that had happened within the mere span of two hours. What had happened was the utter destruction of their homeland, that's what. Oki figured most of the others were still in shock – even Narrk seemed slightly shaken by the suddenness of it all. Amaterasu was perched on one of the ledges that hadn't collapsed, her crystalline eyes still focused on the distant nothingness. It was a sad sight for the Goddess, to see such chaos and not have done a single thing to stop it.

Oki could see her frown from where he was standing, but didn't bother to go see her – though he was rather tempted, oddly enough. If she wanted to sulk, she could, but the rest of the land and its people had to work on rebuilding.

Amaterasu, however, was far from sulking. She was trying to figure out just why the earth suddenly split apart like that. It was insane. And curling black mist that she'd seen – that was definitely one of the three forms of the death Goddess, Shinigami. Why? How had she escaped? It was such a confusing matter that Amaterasu didn't really know how to start breaking down what had happened.

Not like she had much of a choice, though.

"Amaterasu?" A soft voice broke through her current thoughts and she turned to face Lika.

"Yes?" She answered, surprised at her own voice. It gave off only exhaustion.

"Do you want to rest...? Kai said you've been out here too long." The young girl explained, offering a hand. The pallid-haired Goddess shook her head and gave a small, sincere smile.

"I'll come back in soon, Lika, tell Kai not to worry," She replied, though Lika looked far from convinced. Still, the ebon-haired girl nodded and sauntered away. Amaterasu chewed on the side of her cheek, letting out a loud, frustrated sigh. If that really _had _been the death Goddess, they were all in danger, because she would come back to her original cage to seal it off – and after that she'd never be caged again. They needed to act as soon as possible, for the threat that all of Komui could be wiped out was too great a risk to take any more time than necessary.

That was her first and only thought as she dashed off into the forest, following the trail of destruction the mist had left. Perhaps this was what Shinigami wanted – a chance to meet with her former nemesis.

x x x x

Issun seemed rather on edge, Oki mused, watching the Poncle tap his knee impatiently where he sat. He was grumbling to himself, looking far more on anxious than usual. The blunet felt himself frowning as he flicked the smaller of the two.

"Quit fidgeting, it's annoying." Oki muttered, shooting him a glare. If Issun saw him, he really didn't care that Oki had just threatened him – and that in itself was a strange thing. "What's on your mind, bug?" He tried again, curiosity invisible due to the mask. Issun blinked and looked up.

"I can't sense Ammy." He muttered, frowning deeply.

"What do you mean?"

"Just that, you stupid mutt!" Issun retorted, hopping onto his head and settling in and amongst Oki's long hair. "I'm Amaterasu's Celestial Envoy, I can sense her anywhere and everywhere, no matter if it's in the mortal or heavenly realm," The Poncle explained diligently, "And now I've completely lost track of her aura."

"And that means...?" Oki inquired, having a terribly bad feeling about where Issun was going with the conversation.

"That means she's one of two things," He began, in an entirely too-serious tone, "In a place I can't sense her – that would be a place of complete danger, or she's... or she's dead." Oki blinked, frowned, and shook his head.

"Impossible. Amaterasu can't die, she's a Goddess," Oki argued, crossing his arms and picking the Poncle off his head and setting him on a wooden stool where they could talk eye-to-eye.

"Wrong," Issun said loudly, as though it would make a point, "She can die, but it's not how we mortals see death. When a heavenly being dies, they become part of the Celestial Plain to keep a safe place for the living ones. After that, it may take hundreds of years for them to reincarnate again, and by that point, we'd be dead." Issun paused to let Oki digest the unfamiliar information. By the looks of it, none of what Issun had just said was easy to swallow.

"So... you're telling me Immortals aren't really Immortals at all?" Oki asked slowly, eyes glinting behind his mask.

"Not entirely. They are _Immortal, _in a sense. They don't suffer the side-effects of age, nor do they die as easy as mortals do. So yes, they're Immortal. Humans are just misinformed." Issun replied, adjusting his over-sized green hat. Oki snorted, wondering just how many other things humans had been 'misinformed' in. He didn't bother to guess.

"In any case," Issun continued, growing serious once more, "I have a hunch."

"And?" Oki inquired, eyes narrowing.

"That black fog we saw earlier – the stuff that split Wep'keer in two, is actually a Goddess." Oki's jaw dropped. "Shinigami. What we saw there was her least powerful form, the fog."

"Least powerful? I sure as hell don't wanna know what damage her most powerful form could accomplish, then." Oki commented, seething about the ridiculousness of it all.

"-Anyway," Issun snapped, annoyed at being interrupted, "Her second form is that of a black fox which is said to be able to walk in dreams, and control the varying elements around her. As for her final form – well, no one really knows. Anyone who's seen it is dead. All that's left are folk-tales parents tell their children before they go to sleep." The Poncle explained, letting out a long sigh toward the end.

"...Why? Why was she in the earth then, and not on the Celestial Plain like all other Gods?" Oki demanded, a sudden, nauseating revelation coming to mind. Issun grimaced, as if to confirm Oki's dread.

"Shinigami was banished from the Celestial Plains and encaged at the core of the earth long ago for committing treason against the Gods and taking a side with the Dark Lord." The hat-wearing Poncle murmured, avoiding Oki's gaze.

"...the Dark Lord." Oki repeated. Issun nodded. "As in, _Yami, _the Dark Lord? So we're dealing with someone as powerful as _Yami?_" Another nod. Well wasn't that just _peachy?_ _"_And I didn't deserve to know this earlier!?" Oki snarled, standing up abruptly. Issun swallowed the foul tasting words he was ready to spit back, and instead replied with:

"You're not even supposed to know that much, Oki." That one sentence shocked the wolf-hybrid into silence.

"...What... what's that supposed to mean?" The blunet asked, after collecting himself once more.

"Just that," Issun muttered. "Mortals are specifically not to know of such things. Anything involving the Dark Lord is entirely top secret. The only reason I know is because I serve as Ammy's Celestial Envoy."

"So, Issun," Oki began wryly, "Seeing as you know it all, do you have a plan as to how to find Amaterasu?"

"As a-matter-a-fact, I do." And so, Issun explained his plan. The Poncle has used his knowledge of his once furry-friend to assume she'd gone to fend off Shinigami herself. He said she wouldn't want anyone else involved. '_What a martyr,' _Oki had commented. Needless to say, Issun had agreed whole heartedly, but weren't all Gods martyrs?

So, they decided they would have to find Ammy before she reached Shinigami and convince her she would need back-up to defeat her. After all, if the sun Goddess had difficulty defeating Yami, what type of long, hard battle would they be in for this time? Issun couldn't help but worry.

It wasn't difficult to follow the two Goddesses – seeing as there was a trail of destruction left in Shinigami's wake – much to Oki's surprise. The frustrating part was trying to stay hidden and keep their energy low enough that neither of the heavenly beings would notice them. Quite right, Issun had informed him of yet another Godly power he'd not been aware of; spiritual sensory. Apparently, every living thing had _some _kind of spiritual energy that ranged from high to low, and all Gods and Goddesses could sense this energy and from it can tell whether you're an Oak tree, a wild dog, or a human with high spiritual power. Everyone of Wep'keer would be easily sensed by both Amaterasu and Shinigami, so Issun had taught him a clever trick to disguise his energy. It was usually an enchantment that one would meditate on for an hour, however, seeing as they didn't have any time to lose, Oki settled for using the spell without the meditation. That was probably a bad idea, seeing as he had the possibility of looking like a moving plant, but they didn't have much of a choice.

"Issun, is this honestly going to work?" Oki asked quietly, slinking along in his wolf form. The Poncle atop his head shrugged, though Oki wouldn't have seen it.

"Honestly?" Issun asked, and felt Oki nod. "Then I have no idea." At this, Oki frowned and let out an unintentional growl.

"So what, are we going on some wild goose chase then? And what if Amaterasu doesn't even _want _our help, hm? Had you thought of _anything _before we left you stupid bug?" Oki snarled, tail lashing. Issun snorted, but it lacked his usual fire.

"The correct term would be wolf-chase," Issun muttered before settling back into Oki's fur. He couldn't really argue with his wolven friend because he _hadn't _thought anything through. All he really knew was that Ammy was in danger and he had to be there. He wouldn't abandon her, not after the Ark of Yamato, and not after what had happened in the Celestial Plain. Never again. Ammy was not only the Goddess that had redeemed all humans; she was his closest friend. She was the one that inspired him to start painting again. They were partners in crime; accomplices; companions. She knew all about him, and he knew everything about her. What was really important, though, was that some part of him loved her, but not in the way one would assume when they heard the word _love. _It was that special kind of love that you know means more than anything in the world, and yet, it stays almost completely non-existent. It was everything and nothing at the same time.

A loud, hissing growl on Oki's part snapped the Poncle out of his thoughts. They had halted at the very edge of a small clearing. Something felt off.

"Why'd ya stop?" Issun demanded, yanking a blue hair.

"Shut it." Oki snarled, lifting his head. "Do feel that?" He asked, eyes narrowed into the distance.

"Feel what?" Issun asked, suddenly aware of the hair on the back of his neck pricking. He frowned and glanced around the clearing, trying to locate the source of his discomfort. A loud _snap _was all it took.

"Shit," He heard Oki mutter, crouching down on his haunches in preparation to attack whatever was hiding itself in the woods. Issun was very aware that there was an evil presence he'd not been aware of until now surrounding both the clearing and them. He wondered why he hadn't noticed it.

"Oki," Issun paused, "Wait until it shows itself otherwise –"

"Are you crazy!?" The blunet hissed back, crouching further.

"No, you idiot, _you _are!" The Poncle snapped, cutting off any arguments. "If that demon happens to be stronger than you, what do you suppose will happen? I sure hope you're not assuming we'd live by some miracle, because we wouldn't!" Issun took a breath before continuing. "Now sit your furry-ass down until we can see what it is." Angry but compliant, Oki sat down, hidden among the tall stalks of grass.

And oh, they saw it alright. And it's friends.

"What the..." Was the only sentence Oki could muster. Or more, the only one he was able to before the wind was knocked out of him by one of the giant red beasts. How they had sensed the pair was beyond both of them. The wolf let out a strangled cough, eyes locked-on to the devilish red thing that had hit him. It looked rather like a huge bull with cat-like paws. He didn't have much time to react.

"Oki, move!" Issun snapped at him, yanking the hair on his head. Its impish minions had launched their own attacks, using various weapons. The smaller demons weren't so difficult to deal with, but the larger monster was most definitely a problem. It was a coward, he noted. It only came up from behind when it was absolutely positive Oki was distracted, and when it did, he dealt a great amount of damage. Then it would retreat behind its followers and wait for the next opening.

And Oki hated cowards with a passion, demon or not.

Snarling stridently, Oki deduced that the only way to disband the large group of demons would be to take down the ring-leader. He figured the red beast was said leader, so he plowed his way through the smaller ones to launch forward and onto its back in one smooth motion.

"Oki!" Issun shouted above the roar of the beast, having had a sudden epiphany about where he'd seen the beast before. "Go for the shoulder!" And that was all it took for Oki to dive at its exposed shoulder.

x x x x

When it fell, it's followers scatters, just as Oki had predicted they would. One thing, however, still puzzled the half-wolf.

"How'd you know the shoulder was its weak spot?" He inquired after treating his wounds, none of which were terribly serious, seeing as Oki healed quickly and well. Issun faltered as he sat down around the fire they'd built.

"Lucky guess," The Poncle said, shrugging. The blunet scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Issun, don't you have a better excuse?" He demanded, eyes narrowed against the black smoke that curled upward in slow, graceful wisps. In any case, Issun didn't reply. In fact, he didn't do much of anything, which was strange because Issun, as everyone knew, was _always _doing something. Whether it was annoying local ladies, or threatening resident demons. "So it's that bad." Oki deadpanned. Issun frowned and stood up.

"Of course it is, you stupid, _stupid _mutt!" The Poncle seethed, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the flames. "Can I point out a few things, so you'll understand just how _hopeless _this is?" Issun asked, sarcasm laced through his words. Oki didn't bother replying, having decided it would be best to let the Envoy vent. "We're trying to hunt down two Goddesses, one of which completely disappeared off the map. Ammy told me that if I was ever not able to sense her to just leave her be – but how the hell 'm I suppose to do that when she's obviously in danger! The old man Ishaku told me that there had only ever been one occasion when Ammy got out of his sight and that was when she came back nearly dead!" He paused to breath. "And that... that _thing _you just fought, that was one of the few surviving Gyuki. Shinigami worked closely with that particular demon after she turned against the Celestials and teamed up with the Dark Lord and – ...Oh. This is bad." Oki, who'd been listening quite intently, blinked and looked up when Issun stopped.

"What?" Oki asked, eyebrows raised curiously.

"You weren't supposed to know that, either." The Poncle muttered, rubbing the bridge of his nose in a very un-Issun-like manner. Oki realized that the situation they were in was bothering Issun a lot more than normal, and as such, the blunet found himself worrying as well.

"You never could keep a secret, Issun,"

Issun blinked, frowned, and he was pretty sure he cursed, too. He knew that voice. That, oh-so high and mighty voice he'd come to despise on Amaterasu's last adventure to restore peace to Nippon. Oki, on the other hand, had no clue who it was so he whipped around and fixed the intruder with the coldest glare he could muster.

"I imagine you would be intimidating if I were a human," The blond male commented, dismissing Oki's cold greeting.

"Who is this freak, Issun?" Oki asked, growling.

"A half-baked prophet, that's what. He couldn't give Ammy or me a straight prophecy if his life depended on it, actually." Oki blinked at his words.

"...Am I missing something?" The blunet asked ears pricked forward.

"Quite a lot of something, apparently," Chimed the blond.

"...Care to fill me in, then?" Oki asked, sitting back down. Issun sighed heavily and took a seat next to Oki.

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a second would you?" The Poncle asked, rubbing his forehead over-dramatically. The wolf-hybrid glanced between the pair and sighed. Why didn't anyone tell him anything these days?

x x x x

Long time no see? Well, at least I updated. Anyway, yes, that's right, I copped out of the fight scene. Quiet you. I honestly didn't know how to go about the fight. It was, however, mandatory to move along with the plot. Speaking of which, guess who~? That's right ladies and gents, Waka is in the room. Told'ja he'd jump in randomly. Anyway, as the plot thickens, we have yet another mystery on our hands. At least, Oki does, because he hasn't the foggiest idea as to who Waka is. And Issun has a headache. Waka didn't make it any better. All in all, I can't wait to see how this plays out.

Add one green bug + one snarly mutt and prepare for the worst. No literally. It's the duo-from-your-future-doom. Now add a half-baked prophet and what do you get? The trio-from-hell, of course.

---Ritzs-your-resident-cracker.


	4. Recap

"This guy," Issun jerked a thumb in the blonde's direction. "Is Waka. A half-baked prophet if there ever was one." Said blonde rolled his eyes and crossed his arms indignantly.

"I see you haven't changed an ounce, _ma chérie_," It was a playful tone; but there was underlying meaning somewhere. Something Oki couldn't see – might never see.

"Anyway," Issun frowned at being interrupted, but continued none the less. "That's Oki." The Poncle's attitude was brusque and it seemed he was genuinely worried about his canine companion, judging by the way he was rushing into explaining. Maybe Issun had more faith in this _Waka _than he let on.

"Where's Amaterasu?" Waka asked as he narrowed his eyes on the shame-faced Poncle who was kicking at the log he sat on.

"That's actually why we're out here," He began, adjusting his oversized hat. "If you sensed Shinigami's release, you'll know where the furball went. Me'n Oki decided to stop her before she gets her stupid self killed." He made it sound simple – but their little quest was anything but.

"So that _was _her," Waka murmured to himself, tapping a finger to his chin as he thought. "I assume you've no actual sign of Amaterasu then?" Issun shook his head.

"If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be," Waka began neutrally, going about it as though trying not to upset his Poncle friend. "You and I know that better than anyone, Issun."

"Well we can't just give up!" And, as predicted, Issun didn't take to throwing in the towel very well. Waka frowned at him and stooped down to flick him on the head.

"I don't recall saying we were giving up," The blonde replied testily, "I meant we should go about this in a more effective way – rather than charging blindly into naught." Oki had to admit, Waka seemed to have more of a head on his shoulders than Issun did.

"Oh, sure," Issun grumbled sarcastically. "And just what did you have in mind, you half-baked prophet?"

"Well," The blonde started, setting his eyes back on the crackling fire. "I've had several unclear prophecies regarding this matter, but they all seem to revolve around a sakura tree in Kamiki. I've seen a woman – a sprite, rather – who is portrayed in my prophecies as knowing quite a lot of useful information on Amaterasu's whereabouts." Issun perked up instantaneously.

"You're talkin' about Sakuya!" He exclaimed, resuming a bouncing pattern on the log. Waka blinked and tilted his head as if to question what he meant but Issun didn't give him the chance to speak. "She's the sprite with the awesome melons –" He cut off abruptly and rubbed the back of his neck with a sheepish 'oops.'

"Care to stay focused, Issun?" Oki asked with a roll of his eyes. The Poncle snorted derisively but continued anyway.

"When furball and me were on the quest to restore Nippon, we had to bring back pieces of Sakuya that protected different areas of Nippon called Guardian Saplings. We couldn't 'a done it without Sakuya's help." The bug-like creature was radiating with happy memories and Oki almost didn't want to disturb him, but there was a bigger matter to attend to.

"To get to Kamiki you have to go through Shinshu Fields, right?" He asked, directing the question at Waka to let Issun bask in his recollections a little longer.

"Yes," Waka nodded apprehensively. "Why do you ask?"

"Not long ago I was passing the tunnel to the fields and I couldn't help but get the feeling something bad had happened there." He murmured, glancing between the now-focused Issun and the perplexed Waka. "The scent of flowers had gone stale and there was no longer a breeze." Something about what he had said seemed to have struck a chord with both Waka and Issun because they glanced at each other simultaneously and then back at him.

"What?" He demanded, narrowing his eyes at them.

"There was an ancient prophecy, given to the Celestial Envoys and the Celestials themselves by the since-passed Elder," Waka began, deciding that it was best for the wolf hybrid to know – despite the fact he was neither a Celestial nor an Envoy. "It depicted the fall of Nippon following a tree sprites gruesome death."

"How can we be sure it was talking of the tree sprite we're looking for?" Oki inquired, not liking the way the conversation was going.

"It said that after the tree sprite's passing, the scent of fresh flowers would forever fade," Issun explained, looking puzzled. "Sakuya is, in essence, the scent of fresh flowers that carries on the wind. I think even you can make the connection there, Oki."

He ignored the insult because he could indeed connect the dots there. If Sakuya had fallen, Nippon would follow shortly after. At least, that's what the prophecy seemed to say.

"So what are we waiting for, then?" He demanded, standing up abruptly. Waka blinked and gave him a curious stare. "We've got a sprite to save!"

"But if what you said is true," Issun began, uncharacteristically down-trodden. "We might already be too late." Oki snorted disdainfully and picked the Poncle up to set him on his shoulder.

"We've got one of two choices," He started, glancing over at Waka. "We sit around and wait for a tragedy, or we do something to stop it." Issun nodded slowly and bounced his way to the top of Oki's head where he grabbed onto a few pieces of stray hair.

"Let's go then, shall we?" Waka asked turning and dashing out of sight with Oki and Issun on his heels.

When they arrived at the tunnel, the first thing all three of them noticed almost simultaneously was that the scent of flowers had indeed faded even further from when Oki had passed by earlier. Issun had looked rather doubtful and Waka seemed to share his feelings on the matter, but Oki did his best not to get down. Oneof them would have to be optimistic, even in the worst of cases.

"This tunnel always did give me the creeps," Issun commented idly from where he sat on the top of Oki's head, holding on the ear of his mask for support.

"That's what it was designed to do," Oki said as he ran an index finger against the curves and bumps of the passage. "Intimidate intruders."

"It didn't stop the Ones'ka though, did it?" Waka asked, sending Oki a look that clearly said he knew exactly what had happened regarding that matter.

"No, it didn't." And that was where conversation stopped because they were nearing the tunnel exit and they could all feel something sinister on the other side.

And sinister was an understatement.

Every blade of grass, every colourful flower, every once-green tree had faded away and wilted into something too fragile to be beautiful. The animals had long since gone and the ones that remained were nothing but mounds of fur being eaten from the inside out by parasites. The sky that should've been a dazzling blue was a sickly grey and the sun had no light to shine.

"...It's worse than I thought." Waka decided as he hopped off the ledge with a grace seen only in Celestials. Oki and Issun followed, still shell-shocked by the sight of Shinshu Fields in such a deplorable state. "So where is this Sakuya?" The blonde enquired.

"In Kamiki. It's just a few minute's walk from here." Issun said, pointing toward Shinshu Field's western-most exit. Waka nodded absently and allowed the Poncle to lead the way until they passed the gate to Kamiki, that is.

It felt strange and it was deathly quiet, but that wasn't what put him off. There was something about haze that was there just hanging over the village like a curse. It put him on edge.

"Hold it, _ma chérie,_" The Celestial caught Issun mid-bounce and pointed at the very mist that was putting him off. "That's not the normal kind of fog, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, it feels dangerous," Oki agreed while he scented the air. "And it doesn't smell like fog should."

"I know, I know!" Issun snapped, pointing to a ledge above the village. "I was leading us _there _if you two would just shut up."

"Calm down, bug," Waka dismissed his insult with a flick of his hand. "You can't expect us to read your mind, you know," Issun huffed but said no more and Oki began wondering how they would find Amaterasu with all the bickering the pair did.

"We'll have to climb a bit, but we should be able to get above the village and reach Sakuya that way." Issun explained as he stepped up to the stair-like ledge he'd been speaking of before popping back up onto Oki's head.

And so, they ascended the ledge in silence.

At the top, Issun directed them around the twisting path of the ledges before they finally made it to the bridge area where Mr. Orange would usually have been watching his precious Sakura tree. It didn't surprise Issun that he wasn't there.

"_That _is Sakuya?" Oki asked, unable to believe that the pathetic scrap of bark was the tree that had been able to restore Nippon via Amaterasu.

"...I guess it is." Issun didn't sound certain either but as they dropped down to approach the tree itself – it was faint – but the scent of flowers was definitely there.

"She's still here," Waka decided as he breezed past the silvery gate.

"_Issun!" _Oki felt Issun bounce off his head and approach the tree.

"Sakuya! What's going on around here?" At least the Poncle didn't beat around the bush but what was worrying was the fact the tree sprite still hadn't shown herself.

"_...Curse! ...killing... too weak..." _And judging by the way her sickly voice reverberated off the cliff walls before fading away, he was absolutely right to be concerned.

"What's this?" Waka drew their attention to the paper lantern dug into the ground beside the sapling and hiding behind one of the large grey rocks.

"...That's a Chōchin'obake," Oki stated with a frown. "They're common curses used by the Namahage's."

"What do they do?" Waka asked as he observed the lantern. It had one eye and the design of a tongue sticking out of a gaping mouth.

"They follow the intention of the user," He said as he reached out to touch it.

"Hold it!" Issun bounded onto his arm to halt the movement. "Ya' don't suppose this is the curse Sakuya was mumbling about, do you?"

"I know how to break the spells," Oki insisted – and he did, after fighting year after year with the Namahage's it was only natural he know all the card tricks they could pull out of their sleeves.

"Go for it, wolf," Waka nodded his approval and took a step back. Issun put up a mild protest but Oki merely flicked his off his arm and focused on releasing the curse the lantern had put on the sacred tree. He first established a connection with the demon before he trifled with being able to speak to it.

"What is your master's intent for this tree?" The Chōchin'obake's tongue lolled out of its mouth and its inky black eye flicked open; but it said nothing. "Speak!"

"...To kill it," The lantern cackled and Oki raised an eyebrow. "To kill! Kill it! Kill it! To kill _it!_"

"For what purpose will that serve?" He demanded.

"To _kill _it! Kill! Kill! De-root the damnable tree!" The lantern, paper and ink, spewed and giggled random nonsense before it got together proper words again. "My master Sk-Sk-_Ska _knows not! Kill! Kill she says! De-root the tree! Kill it I will!"

"That doesn't sound promising," Waka commented drily while Oki tried to register that Ska had something to do with their predicament. "In fact, I do believe I should have seen this coming."

"_What?_" Both Oki and Issun rounded on him with identical angry expressions.

"Get rid of the demon and I will explain." So he did.

"Banished to the underworld, you demon shall be," Oki placed a hand on the top of the Chōchin'obake and extinguished the fire inside. "Your connection to this world is no longer so." The ink on the lantern seemed to melt away and was replaced with rough paper.

"Now explain," Issun snapped as he popped up on to Oki's shoulder.

"Ska of the Ones'ka tribe," Waka began slowly. "Is not mere flesh and bone; she would never have acquired her leading position otherwise."

"And you're saying...?" Oki persisted with a small snarl.

"She was borne of the evil in Yoshpet." Simply stated but entirely too confusing.

"What the _hell." _And that really summed up all Oki was thinking about at that point.

"It's only natural, I suppose, that she should ally herself with Shinigami for the sake of power," Waka sighed lightly. "All evil creatures are the same, aren't they?" Now, don't get him wrong, he'd always hated Ska and seen her as a tyrant but _evil? _That was ridiculous.

"And you didn't think to tell us this earlier, ya' half-baked prophet!" Issun sounded completely outraged at the information that had been withheld.

"Must've slipped my mind," Waka dismissed it with a wave of his hand and interrupted before Issun could start arguing again. "But I know what we must do now."

"Oh yeah?" Issun challenged. "And what's that?"

"Find Ska." Waka stated.

"You mean we're going back to Wep'keer?" Oki didn't really think that made much sense.

"No, mutt," Waka rolled his eyes at him and Oki growled at the insult. "Why do you think you haven't had problems with the Ones'ka as of late?" He said it as though even the youngest child should understand but Oki did see where he was going.

"I see," There was a pause as the wolf thought of something to say. "And you know where she is?"

"Not precisely," The blonde began with another light sigh. "But in my latest prophecies I continuously see a collapsed Moon Cave." The implication was they go scout it out as much as Oki disliked the idea.

"Issun, Waka, Oki," A feminine voice brought them back to the present. "Thank-you all. I cannot guarantee it will be enough but I will restore Kamiki Village for you. Perhaps the villagers can help you – they've been coming to me more and more often to pray but for what, I don't know."

"What caused the fog down there, do you know?" Oki asked curiously.

"That was the Chōchin'obake – it should have lifted by now." Sakuya started fading back into the tree. "Kamiki is safe for now but watch out for it." And with that she was gone.

"Let's go check out the village then," So they did.

Far shorter than I would've liked, but I'm working on the next one as I write and it _won't _take as long as this one did to finish. Honest.

And because I haven't thanked review I shall do so now – **Shadow Wolf 2.X **(Thanks for the kind words, heh) **Crimson Solitude of the Moon **(I agree, her voice could be anything – she seems versatile that way) **Shadow of the Eclipse **(Yeah, misspellings really put me off so I've tried to pick them out but I always miss some. Darn it.) **Blaze ocean Dragon **(_thank-you _for the detailed review. I hope I'm still living up to your standards. Heh.) **MeowingWolf **(Moar on the way ^^) **Anonymous I Think **(Glad I can make you laugh and don't worry – this _will _be updated. No question there ^^)


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